Plácido Domingo

PUCCINI Manon Lescaut Freni Sinopoli 4776354

. . . Freni and Domingo are in top form, providing a significant challenge for Albanese and Björling . . . His [Domingo's] sheer ardor early on and grief-stricken expression at the opera's close make this quite a reading, even by his own high standards . . . Having Brigitte Fassbaender as the Madrigal singer is nothing short of luxury . . . Sinopoli could hardly be a more winning guide; he is so effective that I regret he did not find this form more often. That the excellent Philharmonia orchestra brings out the full beauty of Puccini's writing is a significant bonus. The chorus is handled with atmosphere . . . This is a recording I shall return to often with much pleasure.

Here is an opera feast indeed . . . sounding better than ever. These are mid-price luxury issues . . . DGG's 1983 recording of "Manon Lescaut" is one of the finest ever made, with Mirella Freni at her best, Domingo an ideal Des Grieux, and the late Giuseppe Sinopoli reveling in Puccini's lush orchestration.